Vitality's Broken Wheel
by AkaruiTenshi
Summary: Molly unwillingly makes the Harvest King nearly self-destruct. How can she make up for it? Rated T for safety. Spoiler of Harvest King's true name.
1. Self  Destruct

**Hello everyone! I'm sorry I haven't updated Within the Business of Names yet; I will soon! Anyway, this little guy popped into my mind today and begged me to write it. I won't bother you anymore, so you can read it. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Self-Destruct<strong>

The Harvest King stood at the very edge of his stone platform, overlooking Castanet Island. No troubling winds were blowing in from the sea. No rumbling came from the belly of Mount Garmon. A few clouds promised a light dusting of early winter snow. It was fine day, perfect for his beloved Molly to pop in for a visit without the grinding pain that rheumatoid arthritis had bestowed upon her in her old age. How she suffered when the cold seeped into her bones and filled them with such a terrible ache that even he – the guardian, the _king_ of this island – could do nothing to soothe it. He felt so powerless at those times, but her warm smile and loving caresses put those worries to rest.

Something tugged at his magic: the portal to the mountaintop had been used. The Harvest King felt a smile tug at his lips; she always did know when he missed her. Strange thing was that the pull was smaller than usual. Never mind that, the King thought, magic is a fickle thing. He just needed to wait for that small hand to slip into his and –

"Grandfather!"

The King whirled around to see his grandson, Thomas, stumbling up the stairs.

"Thomas!" he called. "What is going on?"

The child barreled into him and he felt his robe grow damp. A cold chill raced down his spine and settled in his gut. The King kneeled and placed his hands on Thomas's shoulders.

"What is wrong, child?"

"G-grandma!" Thomas sobbed. "Sh…She's _d-dying_!"

The Harvest King's heart just about stopped. The cold had spread from his stomach and had numbed him. Another wail from the child startled his senses into action. He picked Thomas up and teleported to Molly's house. There was no time to waste.

He appeared in the living-room, startling his daughter. She took Thomas from his arms gently and pointed mutely to the bedroom. He absentmindedly kissed her forehead and raced to his beloved. To this day, he still had nightmares of what he saw when he opened the door.

His Molly was lying on the bed. Her eyes were closed, her skin was pale. It was as if death had already taken her. Only the soft puffs of air that escaped her lips assured him she was still alive. Never had he seen her look so small and helpless.

Taking her tiny hand in his, he brushed her bangs away from her cold forehead. The once lustrous silver looked dull and the locks felt dry.

"Ig…Ignis?"

"I'm here," he crooned. "I'm here."

She hadn't opened her eyes, but the ghost of a smile on her lips was enough to tell him she was listening. Her grip tightened slightly. She was fading.

"Don't …Don't you go disappearing now," she scolded. "You still have a family and an island to care for."

He knew she was joking about the Bell Quest, as she'd always called it. Ignis kissed her forehead gently, terrified he'd break her.

"I can't promise anything," he whispered. "But I will try."

Molly's laughter was wheezy and Ignis didn't know who it hurt more: him or her. Suddenly, she broke into a coughing fit, blood spattering on the sheets and linens. His heart dropped.

"I don't have…much time…left…"

Ignis felt moisture pool in his eyes and run down his face. His poor heart was banging painfully against his ribcage. Her grip was loosening.

"Please Molly," he begged. "Please, d-don't leave me."

"It's the…way of life," she strained. "You…know this."

The King had never felt so powerless, so helpless. Even watching her struggle up and down the mountain didn't hurt him so much. He knew she'd come back when she had enough strength. If not, she'd send one of their grandchildren to get him. She couldn't return from death. He couldn't visit her in death. That was not within his jurisdiction. His only power was over Castanet and a few nautical miles of ocean, nothing else. It was the first time he'd ever despised these limitations before.

"Do me…one last favor?" she rasped.

"Anything."

Her eyes slid open, the vibrancy in her red ochre eyes almost fooling him into believing she'd live. They even had that spark of mischief he'd always loved.

"One...last…kiss?"

He bent over and kissed her, pouring as much of his magic into it as he could. He felt her skin momentarily soften and gain warmth, her hair tickled his neck. Her lips were once again full and luscious. And then, it vanished. All those sensations spiraled down to a terrible cold that burned his soul. Her hand was limp. There was no pulse.

"Molly?" he whimpered.

No answer.

"Molly, please," he pleaded. "Please don't leave…I love you…"

Silence.

"Molly!"

The cry was followed by the slam of a door and sobs. She was gone. The thought crowded out all others in his mind. Molly was gone.

"Father," his daughter said. "Mother wanted you to have this."

She gave him their wedding ring. It didn't bring joy to his heart, only painful memories. With a loud roar, he vanished from the room, ring rolling on the floor.

He reappeared on his dais, clutching his chest, right over his heart. Tears ran freely down his face. His magic was out of control. Roars and cries of grief echoed all around him. In his mind were pictures of her smiling, laughing, _living_. The very word stung him. His magic pulsed dangerously. The King was on the verge of self-destruction.

A cool sensation settled on his shoulders. It spread through his body in soothing waves, gently coaxing his grief to settle. Through his blurred vision, he caught sight of light blue aura and aquamarine hair. Then, black.

"I am so sorry, Ignis…So sorry…"

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><p><strong>Too short? Too cheesy? Tell me your thoghts: review!<strong>


	2. Rejuvenate

**A full, two chapter story in one day! I feel so proud of myself :3**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Rejuvenate<strong>

His senses were in a haze. His body was numb. He could distinctly hear someone calling to him, the voice soothing and tender. Whoever it was also held his hand. Something cool brushed his forehead. He blacked out.

_"It is an arduous journey to the top of the mountain, yet you do so anyway…Such a strange mortal."_

_A shrug. A smile. _

_"You never complain, so why stop?"_

It _burned. _Something was eating up that sweet voice that spoke to him, leaving wisps of smoky ashes behind. Mere slivers of that memory. He barely knew who it was that spoke to him anymore.

_"Do you enjoy watching Castanet from up here?"_

_"I love it! I feel like a bird, flying over the land!"_

_"Hmm. Is that so?"_

_An enthusiastic nod._

_"Then will you join me tonight? I believe you will enjoy the nocturnal view as well."_

_A wink._

_"Then I better go get ready."_

He could vaguely see something reddish brown dashing away. But he could see the bright smile it had. It brought him so much joy, he thought he would burst. However, the flames did not permit it and the grin was burned from his mind. Why did he need to forget such a wonderful smile?

_A blush, rose red._

_"Hey, King? Can I ask you something?"_

_"Ask away, dear."_

_A large blue feather._

_"Do you know what this means?"_

_Warmth flooded him._

_"Of course. I believe another awaits you on your bed."_

_A kiss. Another radiant smile._

He struggled to fight the fire away. This memory felt especially precious to him, though motive escapes him. Yet the fire overpowered him and the blue feather was now black.

_Something was in his arms, wailing loudly._

_"I like Cora."_

_"Cora...A strong name. It suits her."_

_A grin. A diminutive hand tugged his hair. Laughter._

Cora. That name was very familiar. He couldn't remember who it belonged to, for the flames had devoured its owner.

_"Father?"_

_"Yes, sweetheart?"_

_"This is Thomas…Your grandson."_

_Warm giggles echoed in his ears._

_"Don't look so surprised, Ignis. Time flies by; it was bound to happen."_

So that was his name. Ignis; not King. The flames didn't touch it, but it swallowed both females.

_"Father…Mother wanted you to have this."_

_A ring was in his hands, blue and golden. It didn't bring joy to his heart, only painful memories. With a loud roar, he vanished from the room, ring rolling on the floor._

_He reappeared on his dais, clutching his chest, right over his heart. Tears ran freely down his face. His magic was out of control. Roars and cries of grief echoed all around him. In his mind were pictures of a woman with red ochre eyes, smiling, laughing, _living_. The very word stung him._

He scrambled desperately to keep that strand of his memories in his grasp. The fire burned his fingers, prying them off one by one. They struggled, flames hissing and spitting at him. He was losing.

"A name," the smoke around him whispered. "Remember that name!"

How could he? All his life was nearly gone; the only remainder was the burning sliver in his hands. Of all the things he needed to remember, it had to be a name. However, his voice was ignoring him, whimpering a word he couldn't understand. The whimpers became yelps as the flames began to remove the last obstacles to its meal.

"A name! A name!"

"Molly!"

The darkness rumbled and shook him to the core. Something came gushing in and drowned the flames. Within it were bubbles that would pop the moment the impacted him. Memory bubbles.

He could see her eyes now, glowing with that special, mischievous spark he remembered they always had. That fluffy hair he'd constantly tease her about was also clear, cowlick and all. And, most of all, he could picture her bright smile; the one she reserved only for him. Warmth – the good kind this time – spread through him; this was his Molly. The sweet mortal woman who'd so easily snatched his heart and kept it safely next to hers.

_"It's time to wake up, Ignis."_

"I don't want to," he protested.

_"You have to, darling."_

"I know…Cefia must be going mad."

_"I love you…"_

"I love you too, Molly."

Waking up had never been so unpleasant, but at least Cefia was happy now, judging by her cry of relief and oxygen-depriving embrace. She began to babble about how worried she was that he wouldn't wake up – "No matter what healing magic I used, you wouldn't even _move _these last few seasons!"–, and how she'd been doing both of their jobs as the guardians of the island – "The workload is too much for me!"–. Then she apologized for how insensitive she was being and asked how he was feeling.

"I'm fine," he grumbled.

His body felt fine, and his magic was stable now. But he just lacked the urge to even get up. Those waking moments with Molly had provided a bit of closure for him, but grief still weighed him down. Apparently, Cefia didn't notice, for she hauled him up to his feet and ushered him back to the mountaintop. She was mumbling something under her breath he didn't quite catch.

"What?"

She blinked and stuttered, "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

Deciding he didn't feel up to a discussion with his sister, Ignis left. He did manage to catch the soft _"Happy birthday"_ Cefia had whispered before he teleported, though. It was nice of her to remember – even though it was her obligation as his sibling –, he'd forgotten it already.

He was greeted at the dais by the pack of hyper Harvest Sprites. They danced around him and chanted their _welcome back_'s and _hooray_'s over and over. He patted each one of their heads fondly and sat on the edge of the dais. Closing his eyes, he drew a deep breath and let his magic run free; righting anything that poor Cefia couldn't manage to keep in order. He felt the land and sea greet him joyously, and the winds sent their condolences in warm, soft breezes. He would make good on that last promise, no matter how much it hurt him.

By the time he finished, it was nearly sunset. Ignis stood on the edge of the platform, watching the birds fly towards the sun as it ducked into the sea. Molly loved this time of day, and her enthusiasm about it had stuck to him like glue. His eyes slid shut of their own accord and the breeze tickled his face. He could hear her whispering to him of the beauty of the colors as the golden orb sunk into the horizon, teasing him about the eventual sticking of the habit.

"I knew you loved it as much as I did."

That was _not _his imagination. Nor was the warm breath on his shoulder, or the arms around his waist. Lips left a trail of tingles on his neck as they neared his ear. He knew they wouldn't reach it, they never could. So he did them a favor and caught them in his. They tasted like apples and cinnamon, exactly how they used to. He was almost afraid to open his eyes and find that he'd been dreaming again.

"I'm real, Ignis. No need to fear me disappearing."

She was wrapped in his arms, young and vibrant as she once was. That mischievous sparkle was there, too. She was glowing with her own warm, red aura and two pairs of elegant, golden gossamer dragonfly wings fluttered delicately behind her. Her robe was identical to his, having traded the extreme cleavage for a second, ruby shawl. Those once shoulder length, fluffy locks extended to her waist now, never losing its thickness or cowlick. She was radiant.

"H-How?"

She giggled, "Your Master is very kind. He saw how strongly you fought off the _Retinentia Devorantem_ and felt that you should be rewarded for your devotion."

"Master?"

"Yes. His brother also informed him that I too did not wish to forget. So here I am, and here I will stay."

He brought her closer, burying his face in her hair, breathing in the scent of earth and forest.

"Promise me you will never fade," he whispered. "Please."

"I am bound to you, Ignis," she replied. "The cycle of life was willingly broken for me. I will always remain here with you."

He fell to his knees, Molly still in his arms. His body shook and his grip tightened on her. She rained affectionate pecks on his shoulder and rubbed his back soothingly.

"Thank you, Molly," he mumbled. "Thank you for returning to me."

Sunset had acquired a new meaning for both of them from that day on. For Ignis, when the sun set beyond the horizon, his own sun shone brighter than the fiery orb itself.

He had his Queen back.

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><p><strong><em>Retinentia Devorantem: <em>Latin for memory eater/devourer**

**And yes, Molly is now a goddess! Call her by whatever goddess name you like, but I'll stick with good ol' Harvest Queen :3**

**Good? Bad? Hate? Like? Tell me in a review! **


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